THE SELECT GENES PROCESS
We are giving breeders access to world-class maternal genetics – in a way that has never been available.
THE DETAILS
Viable Embryo Guarantee
You can buy with confidence – Select Genes offers a Viable-Embryo Guarantee for every Custom ICSI Aspiration purchased. For the first embryo only, when the recipient mare is checked to be fifty-five (55) days in-foal, buyer shall assume full responsibility, including all risk of loss, and the contract is considered fulfilled. The buyer may elect to have their embryo insured with the insurance company of their choice. This is suggested, but not required
Potential breeders will have access to each mare’s full profile and statistics. This will include photos and videos of the mare and any offspring. Additionally, each mare will have a full panel/color test, height, weight, conformation photos and a black-type pedigree.
Next, you will be able to choose your stallion. The possibilities are endless. We create embryos via ICSI; therefore, you can select nearly any stallion, including the legends. You will name your stallion choice during the checkout process. Mare owners will be able to accept or deny a stallion choice. If your stallion choice is denied for any reason, we can work with you to choose an alternate stallion, choose an alternate mare, or we will refund your deposit.
Once you have chosen your stallion and mare, you will complete the checkout process online. A $500 deposit will be taken at this time. Once payment is made securely through the website, you will immediately receive a confirmation email. Within 24 hours, our office will send a DocuSign contract to review and sign.
When contracts have been signed and payment received, Select Genes will begin palpating the mare. You will be updated by the Select Genes office, via text, on the mare’s cycle. Aspiration is entirely dependent upon her cycle and is scheduled when her follicle numbers are at the highest count. This means the aspiration may take place as soon as a week after payment or as long as 120 days after.
Following aspiration, lab technicians will begin creating embryos. Oocytes (unfertilized eggs), harvested in aspiration, are taken to the ICSI lab. At this time, an individual sperm is injected into the egg to create the embryo through the ICSI procedure.
During breeding season, fresh embryo(s) may be implanted into a recipient mare. If out of season, the embryos will all be frozen.
Fresh or frozen embryos are transferred to recipient mares. Recipient facilities must be approved by Select Genes. You may choose to implant all of your embryos immediately, or keep some of them frozen for future use. You have five years from the time of embryo creation to use your embryos.
You have created your dream cross - now it's time for us to help cheer them on in the show pen!
If an embryo is implanted that does NOT work to 55 days in a recipient mare, the buyer will need to continue to implant their additional embryos stored until a viable embryo is successful.
If the fresh or frozen embryo(s) implanted during the breeding season do not create a Viable Embryo, and ALL fresh or frozen embryo(s) created within the agreement have been unsuccessfully implanted into recipient mares, the buyer will have the options of:
(1) – Paying an additional chute fee and aspirating the same mare either in the 2023 breeding season or in the 2024 breeding season, if stated mare is available for aspiration, and mare owner and Select Genes both approve of additional aspiration.
(2) – Using the purchase price, minus the chute fee, (defined as “credit”), toward a new mare in the Select Genes program. The use of the credit on a specific mare must be approved by both new mare owner and Select Genes.
To help you understand our Viable-Embryo Guarantee, we want to define some of our terms:
Viable Embryo: An embryo is considered viable when the recipient mare is checked to be fifty-five (55) days in-foal by a licensed veterinarian. It is also insurable at this time.
First Embryo: The first embryo of the aspiration that makes it to a 55 day check in a recipient mare.
Credit: The purchase price, minus the chute fee, that may be used on an additional aspiration if no viable embryos are made.
Chute Fee: $2,000 fee that is included with the buyer’s first aspiration purchase. It covers the aspiration and the initial ICSI fee in the lab.
Additional Embryos
In the ICSI procedure, having multiple embryos result from one aspiration is common. The buyer will be responsible for paying the embryo creation/vitrification (freezing) fees and frozen embryo permit fees on all vitrified embryos. These frozen embryos will be the buyer’s to use within the next five (5) years. The ICSI Lab will store all frozen embryos until the buyer requests to have them warmed for transfer into a recipient mare. Select Genes will approve all transfers and verify that embryos are transferred to an approved recipient mare facility.
Select Genes will require the buyer to pay a fee of 50% of the Purchase Price for each Additional Embryo that produces a foal that stands and sucks, which is referred to as a “Live Foal.” The buyer must notify Select Genes in writing, within twenty-four (24) hours of the foal birth. Select Genes will issue an invoice to the buyer within one (1) business day, which must be paid in full within seven (7) days of receipt. When buyer makes the full payment, Select Genes will transfer the frozen embryo permit to the buyer by use of an American Quarter Horse Association Transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) process, a tiny needle is used to inject a single sperm into the center of the egg, which will hopefully create an embryo after several days in the lab.
Select Gene’s contract guarantees one viable embryo. A viable embryo is an embryo that has been implanted in a recipient mare and has been checked by a licensed veterinarian to have a heartbeat and appear normal in shape and size, on or after 55 days gestation. At this time, the embryo can be insured by the insurance company of your choice, so long as all of their stipulations are met. Select Genes highly suggest buyers insure the embryo(s), but we do not require it.
If no viable embryo is made, you will be able to transfer the purchase price, minus the chute fee, as a credit toward either the same mare or a different mare in the Select Genes program.
ICSI often produces multiple embryos within one aspiration. Additional embryos may be implanted as fresh or frozen embryos. If they are frozen, you have five years from the aspiration date to implant them. You will be responsible for paying the embryo production fee, embryo cryopreservation fee, and any other applicable fees listed in the fee schedule. When a live foal is born, you will pay 50% of the original Purchase Price to get the paperwork to register the resulting additional foal.
You may put a cap on the number of embryos produced – the minimum cap for every contract is three. If you choose to place a cap on the number of embryos produced, the mare owner may elect to take ownership of any embryos you do not want. If the mare owner wishes to take ownership of the additional embryos created over the cap, they will be responsible for paying for the embryo production/vitrification fee(s) for those embryos. If the mare owner does NOT choose to take ownership of those embryos over the cap, the ICSI lab will charge the buyer a $150 disposal fee for each embryo created that must be disposed of.
Yes, you can choose any stallion - however, the mare owner has the final approval on stallion choices for their mare.
Select Genes must approve all embryo-transfer facilities. To avoid shipping embryos, facilities that are within driving distance of the ICSI Lab in Purcell, Oklahoma, will be given preference. To ensure success for both buyers and mare owners, Select Genes will only allow embryos to be transferred to facilities with proven track records of implanting fresh and frozen ICSI embryos, and these facilities are approved at Select Genes’ sole discretion. Select Genes can also help the buyer secure a recipient mare within the recipient-mare facilities that are approved.
Yes, as long as the recipient mare is being managed by an approve recipient mare facility. We only suggest utilizing your own recipient mares to implant frozen embryos.
Yes. Select Genes will handle all applicable paperwork, including an AQHA breeding lease, which will allow you to be the breeder on your foal.
Select Genes will hold title to, and have possession of, any frozen embryo permits and registration applications. They will be released to the buyer when all applicable fees are paid.
Yes - coming soon! The ICSI lab will be approved as a USDA facility, and we will then be able to ship qualified embryos to the country of your choice. We expect to have the capability to export embryos by Summer 2023.
THE SELECT MARES
World-Class, Elite genetics available to YOU, for the first time ever.